There is a quiet truth in the things we leave behind. In cities where life hums through narrow streets and across wide highways, waste gathers patiently, often unnoticed, like a shadow cast by progress itself. Plastic bags caught in the wind, landfills rising at the edges of towns, waterways bearing the weight of what was once useful—these are not just remnants of consumption, but reflections of how societies grow, build, and move forward. In the Middle East and North Africa, this quiet accumulation has begun to speak more loudly.
The World Bank has recently drawn attention to the economic and environmental weight of this reality, estimating that poor waste management across the MENA region costs approximately USD 7.2 billion each year. This figure does not stand alone as a balance-sheet concern; it echoes through public health systems, strained municipal budgets, degraded land, and missed economic opportunities. As populations expand and urban centers grow denser, the volume of waste rises steadily, while systems designed to manage it often struggle to keep pace.
Much of the region’s waste still ends its journey in open dumps or poorly managed landfills, where environmental harm quietly unfolds over time. Methane emissions seep into the air, plastics fragment into soil and water, and valuable materials are lost rather than recovered. The World Bank’s analysis suggests that this linear approach—produce, consume, discard—has reached its practical and economic limits, particularly in a region already facing water scarcity, climate stress, and fiscal pressures.
Against this backdrop, the idea of a circular economy emerges not as a radical reinvention, but as a patient rethinking of value. In a circular model, waste becomes a resource rather than an endpoint. Organic materials can return to the soil, recyclables can reenter production chains, and jobs can grow around collection, sorting, and reuse. For MENA countries, this shift carries the promise of reducing costs, cutting emissions, and creating new economic pathways, particularly for young populations seeking employment.
The World Bank notes that while some countries in the region have begun to pilot recycling programs and waste-to-energy projects, progress remains uneven. Gaps in infrastructure, regulation, and financing continue to limit scale and effectiveness. Informal waste workers, who already play a quiet yet vital role in recycling, often operate without protection or recognition, despite their contribution to resource recovery.
What makes this moment notable is not only the warning itself, but the timing. As governments across the region pursue diversification, climate commitments, and urban modernization, waste management sits at the intersection of all three. Addressing it thoughtfully could ease environmental pressure while unlocking economic value that currently disappears into landfills.
In this sense, the World Bank’s call is less an alarm than an invitation—to see waste not as an inevitable burden, but as a signal pointing toward more resilient systems. The challenge lies not in the absence of solutions, but in aligning policy, investment, and public behavior toward a shared understanding of what circularity can offer.
Closing (Gentle Straight News) The World Bank has warned that inefficient waste management practices in the Middle East and North Africa cost the region an estimated USD 7.2 billion annually. The institution has urged governments to accelerate a transition toward circular economy models, highlighting potential benefits including cost savings, reduced environmental impact, and job creation. Officials note that improvements in policy frameworks, infrastructure investment, and regional cooperation will be key to advancing sustainable waste management across the region.
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World Bank Reuters United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Arab News Brookings Institution